The Chronicles of Koa: Netherworld by K. N. Lee, Ann Wicker Read Free Book Online Page A

attention to her. “Koa. Don’t. Just don’t.”
     
    She pursed her lips. “But, you don’t even know what I was going to say!”
     
    “You were going to ask me if you could go to the Netherworld.”
     
    Koa lowered her head and pulled a loose string from the hole in her jeans. “Perhaps, I could go there, and find out what is happening. Maybe I can find out the truth about my past. I mean, look at my sword…” She held the hilt out towards him.
     
    He didn’t look at it. He knew already.
     
    “There are Netherworld symbols on it. How could my father have such a weapon? Why did he take me there as a child?” More questions crowded Koa’s mind, but she was afraid to ask them. “If I knew the answers to these questions, I could have my memories back. I mean, an entire chunk of my adolescent life is missing!”
     
    Halston didn’t speak for a moment. Koa’s eyes brightened. There was hope. Maybe he would finally let her go. Maybe she could finally recover the missing memories of her past. He didn’t know what it was like to lose years of memories and have no clue as to why.
     
    All she knew was that her father had taken her to the Netherworld when she was twelve. Then…there was nothing…a white void. When Koa woke, she was in a strange place with no recollection of what had happened, or how much time had passed.
     
    Halston finally broke his silence. He shook his head. “No. It is out of the question. You are not ready.”
     
    Koa’s eyes narrowed. “How the hell can you say that? How do you know? You may be the ‘boss’ in this Netherworld division, but you don’t control me!”
     
    Halston shook his head. “You don’t get it, Koa. I don’t want to control you. I am trying to protect you.”
     
    Koa sneered. “Yes,” she said sarcastically. “I suppose it’s for the best. I suppose I’m not meant to have my memories back. I mean, they are my memories an all.”
     
    Halston gave her an odd look. “Perhaps you don’t know just how lucky you are to not have those memories back. Have you ever thought of that?”
     
    Koa glanced at him. “What do you mean?” Her face was hot with rising rage. She hated being told what she could and couldn’t do. “What do you know, Halston?”
     
    Halston’s watch began to ring. He answered it and Koa sighed. He hung up and came to his feet. “The Oracle is ready to meet with us. Let’s go.”
     
    Koa nodded and watched Halston arm himself. She watched him, and for the first time, she felt that Halston was hiding something important from her. He wouldn’t tell her what happened with Galena, but she had an idea.
     
    She frowned down at her hands. She couldn’t shake the feeling, but she felt a small spark of doubt that she could fully trust someone that kept so much from her.
     
    Halston glanced at her, and it was as if he could read the doubt on her face. She thought that he would say something, dismiss her doubts. She wanted him to. Instead, he simply nodded for her to follow and left the room.
     

Chapter 6
     
     
    K oa was a little taken aback by their means of transportation. Out of every car that Halston had, they drove an old sedan to the Oracle. She was confused. There were so many better ways to get there, that is, until she saw where the Oracle lived.
     
    They arrived to a tiny flat in a lower class complex. A seedy hole in the wall that most people of means would try to avoid. Koa knew better than to judge though. Her childhood home wasn’t much better. She knew what it was like to be dirt poor.
     
    She overlooked the dilapidated buildings and pot holes in the street and looked into the faces of the children. They played in the street with nothing more than their imaginations. She knew what it was like to not even have a toy. To most people, they would have felt uncomfortable in this neighborhood.
     
    Koa felt the exact opposite, and she was glad that Halston had chosen the old sedan instead of a shiny Maserati or Mercedes.